Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters - Bip Bam

In May 1953 Clyde McPhatter left The Dominoes (he either walked out or he was fired depending on who you believe) and started to get a new backing group together. They were signed by Atlantic president Ahmet Ertegun and had their first recording session on June 29th. McPhatter was unhappy with the results (of the 4 tracks recorded only “Lucille” was ever released) and recruited a new Drifters line up, which consisted of Bubba Thrasher, Gerhart Thrasher, Bill Pinkney and Willie Ferbee. This line up entered the recording studio on August 9th, and from the four tracks recorded, “Money Honey” was chosen as the group’s first single. Success came quickly with this first disc climbing to the top of the R&B charts and establishing Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters as the number one R&B vocal group for the rest of their short career together.

The breakup started in May 1954 when McPhatter was drafted into the Armed Forces. Towards the end of 1954 the parting of the ways was formally announced and the last Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters single, “Whatcha’ Gonna Do”/ “Gone” was released in February 1955. The continuing but separate stories of Clyde McPhatter and The Drifters will feature on future posts on this blog. Once more I can highly recommend Unca Marvy’s R&B pages for the Drifters story in detail.

This 1984 UK issued LP on Edsel features informative liner notes by Colin Escott. And once more I am indebted to Joan K for providing the period cover scans and label shots, a folder of which is featured in the download.

Ripped from vinyl at 320kbps. Password = greaseyspoon

Download link here:

http://rapidshare.com/files/85778020/Bip_Bam.rar

1. Money Honey
2. Let The Boogie Woogie Roll
3. Don't Dog Me
4. Gone
5. Such A Night
6. Lucille
7. Warm Your Heart
8. The Way I Feel
9. Bip Bam
10. Honey Love
11. Whatcha' Gonna Do
12. If I Didn't Love You Like I Do
13. There You Go
14. Try Try Baby
15. Everyone's Laughing
16. Three Thirty Three

A Clyde McPhatter & the Drifters album, “Rock & Roll” (Atlantic 8003) was released by Atlantic in 1956. The tracks were a mixture of McPhatter solo and McPhatter with the Drifters. There is also a cover scan of an EP (Atlantic EP534) from the 1950s (year unknown), plus various label shots from the folder of Joan’s scans.

Billy Ward & The Dominoes - 14 Hits

This is the third posting on the blog of Dominoes’ Federal/King material, so there is some duplication of tracks, but enough new stuff to merit the effort of downloading. In addition there is a folder chock full of Joan K’s cover scans and label shots included in the download, so come on and grab it.

This compilation is a quick chronological journey through The Dominoes’ time at Federal/King, though to call all of these 14 tracks “hits” is surely stretching the truth somewhat. The full Dominoes story is over on Unca Marvy’s (Marv Goldberg) R&B pages so there’s no point in me trying to rehash the whole story here. It’s a somewhat bewildering tale of personnel changes and personality clashes (mostly caused by Billy Ward’s inflexible disciplining of group members and failure to reward them financially). The group’s initial stay with Federal/King lasted from 1950 to 1955 and was followed by spells with Jubilee, Decca and Liberty as Ward sought to move away from the world of R&B into the pop sphere. He succeeded at Liberty with the huge hit “Stardust”.

The final two tracks are real oddities. They were recorded in 1965 for King but are almost unrecognisable as Dominoes tracks, especially when you compare them to The Dominoes in their early 1950s pomp when they were led by Clyde McPhatter, or even by his successor Jackie Wilson.

Ripped from vinyl at 320kbps. Password = greaseyspoon

Download from here:

https://rapidshare.com/files/3388159747/Billy_Ward___The_Dominoes_14_Hits.rar

1. Sixty Minute Man
2. I Am With You
3. That's What You're Doing To Me
4. Have Mercy Baby
5. I'd Be Satisfied
6. The Bells
7. Pedal Pushin' Papa
8. These Foolish Things
9. Can't Do Sixty No More
10. Rags To Riches
11. Ringing In A Brand New Year
12. Over The Rainbow
13. O Holy Night
14. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve

Dominoes EPs (dates unknown) and labelshots - courtesy of Joan K

Otis Williams And His Charms - 16 Original Greatest Hits

This is an album I have already posted twice on rockhall – the second time with an improved front cover scan. This time I’ve added a folder of Joan K’s remarkable cover scans – 1 album cover, 3 EP covers, 1 EP label shot and eight 45rpm single label shots – all in DeLuxe sleeves.

I’ve had a read at Unca Marvy’s article on The Charms (see links panel on right side of page) and if you want the full lowdown on this group get yourself over there. Find out about their first recording for Rockin’ in 1953 – “Heaven Only Knows” which was used by King (after they’d taken over Rockin’) to reactivate the DeLuxe label, the big 1954 hit “Hearts Of Stone”, the big split when Otis Williams left the group, the two versions of The Charms, further hits ("Ling Ting Tong", "Gum Drop", "Ivory Tower"), who recorded what (Otis Williams and his Charms, The Charms, Otis Williams' New Group), and the rest of the story (including The Escos). There’s also a full discography.

Ripped from vinyl at 320 kbps. Password = greaseyspoon

Download link -

http://www80.zippyshare.com/v/OyOMGnZK/file.html

1. Heaven Only Knows
2. Hearts Of Stone
3. Two Hearts
4. Ling Ting Tong
5. Bazoom (I Need Your Love)
6. Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So)
7. Whadaya Want?
8. Gum Drop
9. Ivory Tower
10. In Paradise
11. Save Me Save Me
12. That's Your Mistake
13. United
14. Could This Be Magic
15. Little Turtle Dove
16. Panic

Two Charms LPs were released by DeLuxe in the 1950s – “Otis Williams And The Charms Sing Their All-Time Hits” (DeLuxe 570) in early 1957, plus “This Is Otis Williams” in 1959. You’ll find a scan 0f DeLuxe 570 below.

Three Charms EPs were released by DeLuxe in the 1950s. Below you’ll find scans of “Hits By The Charms” (DeLuxe 357) from 1955 and two versions of “The Charms Volume 2” (Deluxe 364) also from 1955. There’s also a sample of the 45rpm label shots included in Joan K's folder of scans.

Ruth Brown - Rock & Roll (Atlantic 8004)

This is a 1957 album from Atlantic which includes most of Ruth Brown’s biggest hits.

These are vinyl rips by Joan K complete with the atmospheric ‘noise’, so once again it’s like popping round to your friend’s house to listen to a few discs being spun on the gramophone. The download includes a folder of Joan's label shots, EP covers and one of those wonderful Atlantic singles still in its original sleeve. The download scans are more numerous and larger than can be shown here. A visual treat!

Converted to 192 kbps mp3s from m4a files.

Download link –

Ruth Brown Rock & Roll (Mega)


1. Lucky Lips
2. As Long As I'm Moving
3. Wild Wild Young Men
4. Daddy Daddy
5. Mambo Baby
6. Teardrops From My Eyes
7. Hello Little Boy
8. Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean
9. 5-10-15 Hours
10. It's Love Baby
11. Sentimental Journey
12. Old Man River
13. So Long
14. Oh What a Dream